Robotics-based learning interventions for preventing school failure and Early School Leaving Erasmus Project

Project Title

Robotics-based learning interventions for preventing school failure and Early School Leaving

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The problem of school failure and early school leaving (ESL) challenges European education systems and economies influencing negatively personal, professional, economic and societal growth. Many students failed in school or early school leavers identify the curriculum and teaching practices as discouraging factor towards staying at school. Students claim they are rarely offered with opportunities to develop their creativity, to work on hands-on activities and to learn practical skills useful in their life.
During last decade studies assure that educational robotics (ER) can provide learning experiences that promote children’s creative thinking, teamwork, and problem solving skills – the essential skills necessary in the workplace of the 21st century. Coupled with proper learning methodologies such as Constructivism/Constructionism (Piaget, Papert) and project-based learning, ER is emerged as a unique tool that creates an attractive learning environment keeping students interested and motivated with hands-on, fun learning activities.
This project RoboESL has aimed at exploiting the potential of robotics for developing extra-curricular constructivist learning activities in schools that engaged children being at risk of failure or ESL to foster creativity skills, raise self-esteem, motivate their interest in schooling, and finally to encourage them towards staying at school.
The consortium consisted of 8 partners, among them secondary schools from countries with ESL rate higher than the European headline target (10%), namely Italy, Greece and Latvia. University of Latvia/Education Dept. has been be the main pedagogical partner and has offered its pedagogic expertise, especially in Early School Leaving. Univ. of Padova/Dept. of Information Engineering has contributed its technological expertise in educational robotics. Non-profit educational organisations European Lab for Educational Technology (Greece) and Scuola di Robotica (Italy) have contributed their expertise in educational robotics and in training/learning design.
The project activities have included: designing of curricula with exemplary interdisciplinary robotics projects focused on science, technology and engineering supported by Open Educational Resources; development of a Curriculum for blended training course for teachers to enable them to implement the robotics-based curricula in classrooms; realization of on-going robotics projects within extra-curricular activities in the participating schools; realization of the 3 blended joint staff training courses combining virtual training with short physical mobility; evaluation of the learning activities and finally validation of their impact on ESL.
The partners organised 3 national conferences in Greece, Italy and Latvia to disseminate the project outputs to academia and school community.
The main results and impact include: curricula and OER for 10 exemplary interdisciplinary robotics projects freely available for teachers and students (in English and in national languages); a web portal that will support virtual collaboration within and beyond the partnership; a curriculum for blended training course for teachers; validation report on the impact of the robotics projects on the selected students’ achievements and attitudes.
Students benefit from the suggested RoboESL learning design as they have been encouraged to view the subjects of Science and Technology from a creative, applicable and constructive perspective towards improved school performance and higher involvement in learning and schooling.
The students involved in the project have developed their collaborative and communication skills and they have actively interacted with the members of the RoboESL community. All these will have a longer term positive impact on their future personal and professional development as well as on their positive attitudes towards the EU values.
The project network has also allowed teachers to collaborate and interact with other teachers to exchange ideas and practices and to address the problem of ESL and school failure from an international perspective. Finally, the schools became part of a European educational community of schools in which reflection and action upon inter culturally diverse educational issues can take place. The project impact will continue to flow activating repeatedly the RoboESL interventions offering opportunities for exploitation in more learning environments.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 241093 Eur

Project Coordinator

Liceo Scientifico E. Fermi & Country: IT

Project Partners

• 7th Secondary Education School Committee of Athens Municipality
• LATVIJAS UNIVERSITATE
• EUROPAIKO ERGASTIRIO EKPAIDEFTIKIS TECHNOLOGIAS
• SCUOLA DI ROBOTICA
• 6EK A PEIRAIA
• Valmieras 5.vidusskola
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA